Keep You Safe
by speestergirl96
Summary: Mikasa and the 104th are sent to dig through the rubble of a destroyed village, what they find changes their lives forever.
1. An Oath to a Mother

**Author's notes: I love Mikasa and Jean together. They make a great pair because Mikasa is just awesome and Jean is talented and a good leader. I think they would be great together because Mikasa needs someone who is as devoted to her as she is to those she cares about.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan, I wish I owned something that cool.**

 **Chapter one:**

No one expects to find any survivors in the rubble. I can see it on the 104th's faces as we move chunks of building and wall only to find more and more bodies. The hope that there was anyone still alive in all this destruction was all but extinguished.

I keep Eren and Armin close, the titans are gone but the danger isn't, we've already lost two soldiers during this search and rescue mission. I have also kept a careful eye on the other members of my group, Eren and Armin are my main concern but I am also worried about the rest of my squad.

"Someone help me!" Jean shouts urgently.

Before Eren or Armin can react I am sprinting towards Jean's voice. Jean isn't the type to mess around, after he lost Marco he takes missions like this very seriously. The idea of something happening to Jean, a member of my team, has my blood burning.

I speed around a large pile that used to be a library and find Jean kneeling next to a small tunnel into the rubble. He doesn't even look up as I approach, his attention focused on the hole. As I get closer I understand, there is a faint baby cry coming from the hole.

"I can't fit down there!" Jean explains angrily.

I nod and start to strip off my jacket.

"Mikasa what are you doing?" Eren demands as he and Armin round the corner.

"Going in" I dart down the hole before anyone can try and stop me.

I am the only one who can save this baby. Eren and Armin really hit their growth spurts this last year and now both are good three or four inches taller than me and have gained a lot of muscle. Krista could fit down here better than me but no one is going to send her down a possible death trap. I am the only one who can do this.

The baby's cries suddenly stop and I feel panic shoot through my body. I force my way deeper despite the crumbling tunnel around me. I have to save it, it may be the only survivor in the whole village. I have to dig the tunnel a little larger at one section and I am sure it is gonna crumble and bury both me and the child beneath the city, it holds and I continue on.

The cries pick back up and I let out a sigh of relief.

I find the baby and immediately understand why it survived. The sobbing child is wrapped safely in the arms of its dead mother. It's almost too heartbreaking to look at. She died to protect her child, sacrificed everything and I am gonna get the child out of here or die trying.

I crawl over to the baby and pry the mother's arms away from her child.

"I am sorry" I whisper to the lifeless woman "I promise I'll protect your child"

I clutch the whimpering child to my chest and begin my very careful exit. Getting out takes me a lot longer than getting down, I move slower to keep the risk to a minimum.

"Mikasa!" Eren carries down the tunnel.

"I am coming out" I call back.

As I break into the sunlight everyone gasps, the baby is covered in its mother's blood.

"What happened to the poor thing?" Krista asks.

"It's mother had it clutched to her chest… she gave her life to protect her child" I explain.

Everyone's eyes drop to the ground, a moment of silence for the woman who didn't make it.

"What have you got there?" Commander Benton demands.

Levi couldn't come with us so Commander Benton is temporarily our Commander. He isn't the most honorable man and I have found very little reason to follow him.

"A child Sir" Armin informs him "Our first survivor"

"Give it to Squad leader Lin-"

"No"

Everyone turns to stare at me,they have only seen me disobey direct orders when Eren is involved. My refusal is a surprise to the Commander as well.

"What?" His face is fiery red "That's an order"

"Respectfully I decline" I hold the now silent child closer to my chest.

"Take it" he growls.

Squad leader Lin and her four squad members start to march down to take the child from me by force. I'll dead before they take this child from me. Before I can voice my opinion of Commander Benton's orders, Jean steps in front of me.

"Back off" Jean snarls.

"Yeah!" Eren steps up to Jean's side.

"Disobedience can be cause for discharge!" Benton growls "Step down and you will be spared"

Eren laughs loudly.

"You think you could get any of us discharged?" he laughs again "that's priceless"

Squad leader Lin and her Squad glance back at Commander Benton questioningly as my Squad moves to shield me and the child.

"I am the titan shifter, Mikasa is second only to Commander Levi in fighting skills, and our entire Squad has killed more titans individually than your entire unit" Eren spits "Please try and have me discharged"

Commander sputters angrily but is forced to back down. Eren may be arrogant and loud but he is right they can't discharge us, they need us too much.

Squad leader Lin glares at me as they retreat back to Commander Benton's lookout. She will not forget the offense soon.

We return to the search and I find the Jean is sticking much closer than before.

Armin helps me make a sling for the baby out of my jacket. The baby has been silent since we escaped the tunnel, but it watches us with keen interest.

The baby is a boy. He has sandy blond hair and steel gray eyes, he is a very handsome baby and I am sure his mother was extremely proud of him. He is quite content snuggled against my chest and after a few moments he is asleep despite the commotion around him. He wakes after an hour or so, he doesn't cry but he does fuss a little and I begin to worry about trying to find him some food.

After an entire day of searching we head back to our temporary base and I begin the search for food. Jean follows me, worried Lin's Squad will try to get even with me while I am out alone. Connie and Sasha tried to come along as well but I put my foot down. We don't need the whole squad traipsing through camp stirring up trouble.

"What are you gonna do with him?" Jean asks.

I shrug. I haven't really thought about it. I knew I couldn't give him over to Benton, that he would end up alone in some orphanage or worse a casualty to the poverty within the walls. A baby in the Survey Corps is crazy, he would constantly be in danger.

"I don't know"

Jean nods. He is very understanding, never pushes me to say more then I want to. He has a kind heart and probably understands my dilemma better than anyone.

"I made a promise to keep him safe, I will not turn my back on that woman's sacrifice"

"Then don't" Jean says seriously "Let's take him back to Levi's Castle and you can assess your options there"

We find an older woman solider who knew of a substitute formula we could feed the baby. She helped us make a batch and showed us how make sure it's the right temperature. Jean took some notes in the sketch book he carries with him.

"Just in case we forget something" he offers.

I thank the woman and we hurry back to our little group.

Eren and Armin are waiting anxiously when we return. Sasha, Connie, and Annie are all seated around the fire and get up to greet us.

"Did you find him food?" Sasha asks worriedly.

"Yes" Jean answers for me.

Annie watches the baby warily. She has been back with the squad for more than a month but she still hangs out on the fringes, an able to believe that we accepted her back so readily.

"We taking him back to Levi?" Eren asks.

I nod.

"What are we gonna call him?" Connie asks.

"Yea!" Sasha agrees "He can't just be the baby"

The rest of the Squad comes out of their tents to join the conversation.

"He needs a strong name" Reiner declares.

"But it also needs to be cute like him" Krista says.

I glance down at the now wide awake child and find him watching my face. He needs a name that reflects what he came from. His village had survived so long outside the wall and he needs a name that pays homage to their fighting spirit.

"Titus" I decide.

"What?" Ymir asks.

"Titus" I repeat.

"It's strong" Reiner agrees.

"It's cute too" Krista coos.

"Whatever" Eren groans "It's late and we have a long trip back to Levi's Castle tomorrow"

Baby Titus falls straight to sleep, he has had a few really stressful hours I am not surprised he doesn't fight his tired eyelids. I place a protective hand over his back and hold him to my chest. His gentle breaths slowly lull me to sleep.

 **End Notes: I chose the name Titus because in Latin it means "Saved" and Titus was saved twice, once by Mikasa and the first time by his mother. In Greek Titus means "Titan" and I think that one speaks for its self. What do you guys think?**


	2. The Ambush

**Author's Notes: A new chapter for my lovely readers. In this chapter Levi and Hanji will meet little Titus, it's gonna be great I promise.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titans… Just watch it and Love It!**

 **Chapter 2**

The next morning we head out before sunrise. Eren and Armin stick close to me until we are a few miles away from the destroyed village and the group of soldiers who might come after us. Once we are "a safe distance" according to Armin, the boys start to move away from me and talk to other members of the group.

"How is the little man doing?" Jean rides up beside me and coos at Titus.

"I think he is doing well" I watch Titus grab at Jean's hand "although I don't know much about babies… well other than the giants ones I work with"

Jean lets out a surprised laugh.

"Look at you, secretly a comedian" he smiles.

"You think I am joking? Eren has cried more in the last twenty-four hours than Titus has and I had to stop an argument between Reiner and Ymir this morning"

"Gotta love the 104th, one giant family"

I realize that jean is right, we are like a family. We argue like siblings, tell each other off, and protect one another with our lives. I guess it's because we've all pretty much lost our families, our unit is all we have left and we hold to it like stone.

"What's going on?" Jean's voice pulls me from my thoughts.

"TITAN!" Eren's voice calls out across the valley.

A 9m titan is running straight towards us.

"We have to-"

"No" Jean cuts me off "Let the shifters handle it, you protect Titus"

"And what will you do?" I snap.

"Protect you" his tone says 'duh'.

Annie is the first of the shifters to change forms. She charges the wild titan and lets loose a territorial snarl.

The titan falters for a second and that's all it takes.

Reiner, Burthold, and Eren join her in titan form. They surround the titan like a pack of wolves, circling and growling.

Annie takes the first opening and lunges at the titan's neck.

The titan hits the ground and the shifters scream in victory,

"He wasn't alone!" Krista screams.

Ten titans ranging from 7m to 15m come charging from the trees as if to avenge their fallen comrade.

Hanji has a theory that some of the deviant titans can actually form bonds with other titans, if she is correct then I would bet that these are deviants.

With the new threats headed our way Krista and Ymir join the fight, both shifting and charging the horde.

Jean leans over and grabs my reins out of my hands.

"You focus on holding Titus, I'll get us out of here" he shouts over the titan's screams.

Armin quickly falls in with Jean and I.

I notice Eren and Armin's horses are following close to mine, but Annie, Burt, Reiner, Krista, and Ymir's horses are franticly dodging titans. With Krista being our usual horse wrangler the other horses are following krista's horse, but her horse is lost without her.

"Jean, the horses!" I shout.

Jean glances back and frowns.

"We gotta keep moving"

I reach forward and yank the reins from Jean. We can't lose those horses.

Jean yells something to Armin about going on and then turns to follow me.

"You can't fight a titan with a baby!" Jean yells.

But I don't have to fight the titans, I just have to catch Krista's mare and the rest of the horses will follow.

Titus is completely calm as he bounces against my chest, his wrap keeping him held securely to my body. A part of me is screaming to run as fast as I can in the other direction, but the warrior in me knows that we need these horses and I am the best person to get them.

Jean doesn't try to stop me just rides close and has his swords handy.

As we reach the horses I quickly single out Krista's mare and grab her freely flying reins, just like I predicted the rest of the horses fall in and follow us back to Armin.

"There are too many titans" Armin says quickly.

"Then we may have to get involved" I say stoically.

Titus giggles and I find myself smiling despite our circumstances.

"What is that?" Jean cries.

In the distance there are two horses galloping towards us, Commander Levi's black stallion and Squad leader Hanji's bay mare. The two are racing forward weapons drawn, even from here we can hear Squad leader Hanji's cries of joy.

They fly past us.

"Ackerman, Kirsten, Arlet, fall in" Levi commands.

I begin to turn my mare but Jean shakes his head.

"You take Titus and the horses and get out of here-"

"I can fight with a baby" I snap.

"If anyone can it's you" Jean concedes "But _I_ can't fight if I'm worried about you"

He and Armin gallop off to help Commander Levi and I take the horses home.

I wait impatiently at Levi's castle, pacing a rut in the barn floor as I wait for the group to come back. I sent the horses back about thirty minutes ago so that they wouldn't have to walk, but I have yet to see hide nor hair of any of the 104th.

"Mikasa?" it's Eren's voice.

I sprint into the yard and find my squad returning home all alive, few wounded.

Jean makes a bee line to my side, blood caked to the side of his head.

"Are you alright?" He asks.

"I am more worried about that blood" I try to check his head but he waves me off.

"I'm fine, just didn't see the tree" he mumbles the last part.

"ACKERMAN!" Levi storms toward me like an angry elf, Hanji close at his heels "YOU ARE ONE OF THE BEST FIGHTERS, HOW DARE YOU ABANDON YOUR- what is that?"

 **End notes: I promised they would see the baby and they did :]**


	3. First Night

**Author's notes: back at Castle Levi, that's what I call the Castle that they used as a home base.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan, in case you were confused.**

 **Chapter three:**

"What. is. That?" Commander Levi demands pointing at Titus.

"Is it a tiny titan?" Hanji asks excited.

"No" my voice is flat "it's a baby"

Levi's glare intensifies but I am unfazed.

"We found him in the ruble, he is the lone survivor" Armin explains.

"And we are keeping him" Reiner adds like a challenge.

Levi glances at the group surrounding us and then reaches out for Titus.

"Let me inspect it"

Jean, who up to this point has stood with his shoulder shielding Titus and I, glances back for my decision.

I step around him and place Titus in Levi's waiting arms.

Levi's tough exterior begins to melt.

"What are you calling it?"

"Titus"

"Titus?" Hanji perks up "In the old Greek language Titus translates to… Titan!"

She sweeps the baby from Levi's grasp before he can stop her and spins excitedly.

"Hello Titan, my name is Zoe" she coos to the giggling infant "you and I are gonna be great friends!"

"Hanji" Levi snaps and snatches Titus back "You have to support his head!"

"Arlet, Jeager, bring an empty crate, blankets, and some straw to Mikasa's room" Levi commands.

I realize I have scooted closer and I am anxious to have Titus back in my arms.

"Commander, May I?"

Levi glances down at Titus before slowly handing him back.

I pull Titus against my chest and hurry from the stables. If I can just get to my room then I can relax and let my guard down. The last 48 hours or so have been pretty rough and all I want to do now is sleep. Titus has other ideas…

Every time I try to put him down in the makeshift crib he wails uncontrollably, once he is back in my arms he calms down. I can't sleep with him crying out for me and I can't withhold the comfort he begs for, but exhaustion is eating away at me.

"Mikasa?" Jean calls through my door.

"Come in"

The door opens and Jean peeks his head through the opening. He smiles when he sees Titus in my arms, but the smile turns to a frown when he sees how tired I am.

"Hey, you alright?"

His long legs carry him across my room in only a few strides. He stands directly in front of me, almost touching my arm that cradles Titus. His brown eyes reflect the candle light as he studies Titus and I.

"You need to sleep Mikasa" He reaches for Titus "It's almost midnight"

I had no idea it had grown so late. He is right, I do need to sleep.

I ease Titus into his waiting. Titus wakes and begins to fuss, but when I try to take him back Jean shrugs me off. He rocks Titus back to sleep within seconds, I'm amazed by his skill.

"How did-"

"Mikasa, go to sleep" he urges.

I'm really too tired to argue, so I crawl into my bed and drift off to sleep as Jean hums a familiar tune. I haven't slept this good since my parents were murdered.

 **End Notes: Sorry this is short, but I got a message asking me to keep writing so I had to post. This chapter is kinda a warm up so I can get back into the story.**


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